The Woodhouse Day Spa – Montclair

Great ambiance, professional staff, and a damn good massage. Parking can be rough but otherwise I definitely recommend.

My husband and I have been coming to the Woodhouse Day Spa in Montclair for several years for couples massages and facials and we love it! We have to travel 35 minutes to get there, but found it to be worth the trip. From the inviting atmosphere, service and products, special teas and water in the quiet room, the products provided in the comfort room, it is a higher end spa. We highly recommend for a gift or a special treat for your self!

We had a great experience! The massages were for my husband and I, and we truely enjoyed ourselves.

What a complete waste of money! My wife went for a pre natal massage and she came back feeling like she paid $ 112 for someone to apply oil to her body. There was no consideration given to the requests she had made during her service. The only saving grace was the 20% discount they applied for this horrible experience. Pick a different spa — there are plenty in the neighborhood.

The odds are that many customers will have a fine experience at Woodhouse– this comment is more about circumstantial issues with the management of this specific franchise.
I booked a microdermabrasion for my sister’s birthday, and a prenatal massage for myself. I chose Woodhouse because I wanted my sister to have a high end day spa experience without having to go too far. As soon as we were in the locker room a very loud fire alarm began going off. This was one of the loudest alarms I’ve ever heard and it included lights and an extremely loud alarm. The employee who was showing us the locker room seemed disappointed, and said that it should end soon– so this is not the first time this has happened.
Well, that alarm went on for ten minutes. The therapist came to greet me and tried to have a normal consultation. The noise was so loud, I couldn’t hear her. I covered my head with a pillow and she started the massage like everything was normal– again indicating that this is something that happens regularly. Eventually the alarm stopped– but my nerves were so rattled that it impacted the rest of what was supposed to be a relaxing experience.
I have received spa treatments at both high and low end spas throughout the country, so I feel qualified to share this opinion. Woodhouse is in a storefront on a main street and it bills itself, and charges the prices of a high end spa. This is perfectly fine, but it meant that I went in with certain expectations.
When we were paying for our services, I was asked about my treatment. I said it was very poorly impacted by the alarm– and here’s the best part. Woodhouse made no effort to appease me– instead they gave me a card where they had pre-​written the contact information of the building manager, and told me I could call him to complain! How is that my job? Again, this has clearly happened more than once because the response to my complaint was so rehearsed– «our therapists are well trained, and do their job in a professional manner, so you had a luxury experience» or something like that.
What should have happened was a 15% discount for the 15% of my treatment that was unbearable, or smarter still– a 20% discount for a future treatment. Instead I was spoken to like I was wrong for complaining, and asked to call their building manager. Obviously a business can’t control things that are out of their hands, like a fire alarm, however, as a business that bills itself as a high end day spa, they should make more of an effort to make their customers happy when things go wrong. This is poor management and I will not be returning.

I LOVE Woodhouse! It’s by far the best spa I’ve ever been too. Everything is super clean, the tranquility room is actually kept quiet and peaceful, and all the staff are highly skilled. They run a lot of specials throughout the year, too, so it makes it affordable. It’s helpful that they validate parking in the municipal lot right across the street.

Terrible service. I got there 5 minutes late to my appointment and was rushed in and then rushed out because I was there last appointment. No robes, no relaxing peace rooms. I was lucky to get a glass of water. I bought it as a mothers day gift. Needless to say we were both very disappointed. My mothers massage was good however mine was horrible. I felt like she was going to rip my limbs off.

Got a wax treatment here. Total horror show. The esthetician applied and reapplied wax multiple times making the process more unpleasant than I’ve ever experienced before. I usually go to Bliss in NYC. Hours later the area is bright red and searingly painful. Again I’ve never had this happen before, so I am super unhappy.

I can only say great things about Woodhouse Montclair. I’ve been a regular client for years & I wouldn’t go anywhere else for a massage. My therapist Rochelle is the best & I’ve been looking for a good one for decades! The staff, especially Jess the manager, are top notch! The atmosphere is calm & relaxing & I always leave feeling so much better. My massages have helped me recover from surgery too which is an added benefit. I highly recommend this Spa.

What a relaxing day at the spa! the Woodhouse Day Spa is quite the experience. The staff is wonderful, extremely accommodating.
I had Patricia, and after numerous facials here, I finally have found my favorite person! Extremely kind and helpful. Knew a lot about the products she was using and helpful on suggesting what products I should use on my skin.
Tea and trail mix is always delicious as well.

My wife and I received a duo massage as a gift from a family member. We added some body and facial services to the visit to make an afternoon of it. My wife had given birth 12 weeks earlier, so this was going to be a nice afternoon away for the two of us. We even had my mom visiting from out of town to care for our baby so we could both go.
Upon arriving (exactly on time), we were whisked away to the locker rooms. It felt a bit rushed, but that’s fine.
After changing, we sat in a small room and were given forms to fill out and sign. The staff seemed put out that we were taking the time to read the waiver we were asked to sign. That’s when the trouble started.
The waiver is a very corporate piece of legalese, but basically it has two main points.
The first has the client acknowledge that spa treatments are not a substitute for medical treatments — quite reasonable.
The second part basically says that the spa is not liable for anything that might happen while there under any circumstances, even in the case of negligence and breach of contract.
So, my wife asked about that clause, since it seems pretty outrageous that they spa would claim to have no responsibility for their own negligence or if they breach the implied contract for services. The first response was an explanation that the waiver had to do with pre-​existing conditions, which was not true. The manager then came by and explained the «not a substitute for medical treatments» clause, which we weren’t asking about. We asked very specifically about the «hold harmless» part of the waiver, and the manager explained that it was a corporate form and that it was required of all clients. My wife and I discussed it briefly and decided to go ahead and sign the forms and gave them to the managers.
The manager brought in our massage therapists and told us that they did not feel comfortable providing us services because of our questions about the waiver, even though we signed the waiver. They then asked us to leave. They made us feel as if we had done something wrong by asking for clarification of the waiver.
They made my wife cry on her spa day and sent us home.
Needless to say, our future business will be going to one or more of the many other spas in the area.

I’ve visited Woodhouse several times now, and I am a very happy customer! Yesterday, I brought my sister, and we both loved our Woodhouse Escape packages. I’ve primarily visited for massages, and have enjoyed every single one.
The facilities are beautiful and clean, the locker room is well-​maintained, the women at the front desk are SUPER nice, and the therapists are great. Looking forward to scheduling my next massage at Woodhouse!

This spa came highly recommended by a friend of mine so as soon as I moved into the neighborhood I decided to try it out… DON’T BOTHER!
The women who recommended services on the phone was somewhat rude to me but I let it go thinking that maybe she was having a bad day
I admit I got there a bit late, but I was told «no-​problem» I thought «wow what a great place…“NOT!
My massage therapist said my massage would be 50 minutes despite being late — NOT
it was 40 minutes
when I asked her «are you sure that was 50 minutes?» she insisted it was a 50 minute massage and then rushed me off to the quiet room.
My esthetician was great, that is the only reason I gave this place 2 stars. But the facial was not worth the money.
When I checked out, I told the receptionist about my short massage who, with attitude said, «Well she’s one of our best therapists here and she’s been here for years so maybe there was a misunderstanding…»
really???
Then very nonchalantly said «I’m sorry»
When I questioned her attitude she said
«I said I’m sorry for her didn’t I?»
If you are looking for a side of pretentiousness with your relaxation services… go to this spa
otherwise save your money!

Really great massages. Totally high quality staff and the atmosphere is relaxing.
Only downsides is that there is noise from the hallway/​rooms next door in all the rooms I’ve been in, and the relaxation room is not as good as it could be — lots of leather, straight back chairs and wood — not exactly what comes to mind as a room solely for relaxing and half the time I’ve been in there there’s been either water or tea missing. There’s also not a sauna or steam room which I just think makes a spa — but that’s my personal preference.
These small complaints keep it from getting 5 stars, but for service, it’s great!
PS: the Soma is INCREDIBLE!

First impression… unwelcoming staff. Found out later it was the manager at the front desk which didn’t make it any better. I believe her name was Melissa. Anyhow, I expected to be treated nicer considering it was a spa. and the goal is relaxation.
My massage and facial were very nice and THAT staff was pleasant. I was surprised that there were no extra facilities such as sauna room like most other spas in the area have;esp for the price.
As I’m paying, I felt disregarded once another client walked thru the door. My friend was with me and in the middle of her transaction, the front desk actually stopped and completely focused on them. Another staff member eventually came up and handled our payments. I deal with clients all day and if I EVER came across with that personality, I’d hear about it. Thank you for making what was suppose to be a relaxed morning a morning filled with unnessecary actions and unprofessionalism. I’ve never been to a spa like this…

Had a brightening facial… was just mediocre and really did not justify the $ 145 cost. Probably won’t go back here. The person who did the facial wasn’t very experienced and didn’t do the extractions very well at all.

Love the ambiance, the energy, and the treatment itself. Never a bad experience. Only complaint would be the price of most services and not enough package deals.

I’m quite surprised that anyone had a bad experience there. I’ve been a few times, and I must say that this is my absolute favorite spa. Very clean, pretty, comfortable, just all around one of the beat spas I’ve been to. Would always recommend them!

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE — The Woodhouse Spa is not worth the time or the money. The facility is OK, but nothing to boast about (the locker room is so small the changing room is also the toilet, and there is a DVD advertisement playing on an 8″ travel screen in the relaxation room). My experience. however, was appalling, and needs to be shared.
My mom and I decided to try out The Woodhouse Spa in Montclair, because we wanted a day of pampering, and even though we love Depasquale in Morris Plains, we are from Montclair, and try to support local businesses. I scheduled a deep tissue massage for myself, and when the masseur asked if there was anywhere specific she should concentrate on, I said upper back and shoulders, because that is the area I needed a massage most. She was very rough on my entire body, but I kept my mouth shut, because I wanted that same pressure applied to my back and shoulders. Big mistake. I guess she was tired when she finally got around to my back and shoulders, because she barely applied any pressure, and seemed to love lifting her hands up before working out any knots. She also spent the least amount of time on by back and shoulders, which is the exact opposite of what I told her.
A treatment at Woodhouse does not come cheap, so I when the girl at the desk asked how my experience was, I told her exactly what happened. She seemed very understanding and apologetic, and wanted me to give the spa another chance. She invited me back for another massage with a different person, and also a paraffin treatment. Because she was offering this complimentary service, I agreed to give the spa another chance.
My appointment was supposed to be tonight, and I got 2 calls from the spa, the first to confirm I was still coming, and the second from the girl who was so apologetic, to tell me the price of my treatment, and remind me about the complimentary paraffin. Excuse me??? The whole thing was supposed to be complimentary. I never would have agreed to give them a second chance at my own expense. The girl said there must have been a misunderstanding, but my mom was standing right next to me when I was asked to give the spa another chance, and she too had the same understanding, that I was being offered a free massage.
Now, I have been to a number of spas in my life, and never have they called to confirm the price of a treatment, so I maybe this girl got in trouble with her boss for offering the free experience, and was calling to try and save her own behind, but that does not make up for this disservice, and that is why I am posting this on Unilocal

After waiting 20 minutes for my 1pm spa appointment, I asked an employee to check what the delay was. After a further looooong wait, I find out that despite me checking in at the front desk, the masseuse was never told I arrived and she apparently neglected to check her schedule. She had GONE TO LUNCH!!! Had I not pulled an employee aside, who knows how long I would have been left to wait.
At this point, 30 – 40 minutes past my scheduled appointment, I was told the masseuse was returning back to the spa and I would «definitely get the full length of the spa treatment», as if that should have ever been in question!!!
After telling them there was no way I should have to pay full price at this point I was told to wait while the employee discussed it with the owner. After another LOOOOONG wait, someone comes back and reluctantly tells me that they could do the 20% «last minute» discount rate and just stares at me blankly as if she’s doing me a favor. If I wanted the «last minute» rate (which is basically available to anyone with access to a computer), I would have booked a «last minute» treatment.
What a waste of an hour. I went to Bangz down the street instead an got an awesome massage that started ON TIME and with people that were professional and provided actual customer service.